Sterilizer



Oct. 16, 1928.

M. w. HE\LMAN STERILIZER Filed April 26, 1924 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1928. Y,

A UNITED STATES] earenrorrlce..

MARLIN vv. HEILMANQOF TARENTUM, rnlvnslLVANIA.

Application ledjnprn 26,

My invention relates to sterilizers and par ticularly to sterllizer flasks such as are coni lnonly used by physicians, chemists, surgeons and others for sterlllzlng liquids, medicinal preparations or for segregating cultures against contanlination. I y Heretofore lt has been customary to use a flask having a relatively long, narrow neck f for containing the liquid to be sterilized. As"

at present practiced, cotton stopper is placed in the mouth ofthe flask and the en tire neck tllen swathed ln steril gauze, wlllchl is woundV aboutl the neck 'and over the mouth of the flask lnanytiines. The hands 'of the,` operator lnust not touch the cotton or gauzel ln order to prevent'contamination of the mouth of the flask or the neck thereof', and,

3 therefore, the operation is tedious and re` quires considerable skill. V

During the sterilizing process, inwvhichA rthe contents of' the flask' are submitted to heat sullicient to volatilize the liquid, vapors may pass oil' through the cotton stopper and gauze. After the sterillzing process7 the tion requires a considerable quantity of steril gauze, Vit will be seen that appreciable waste ot relatively',,expensive 'materials re` y sults, and tllat where such operations, are

repeated hundreds of times daily in hospitalsl of moderate size,A considerable,r tilne,"f laborI and expensive is involved 'inl tl ie..present method of sterilizing liquids and preserving cultures. i

My invention has for an object, the provision oty a sterilizin'g flask thatwill prevent contamination of' the contents fof-the flask,`

f or the mouth or neckthereof, and which does 4o required by the prevailing process.

Anotherl object of' my invention is to prof vde a steril closure tor flasks that may be applied by the fingers ol' the operator with? out danger ot" contaminating vthe mouth or ncck of the flask, and which may readily be handledV without danger of dislodging the cover and exposing the contents directly to the atmosphere. Y

Another.V object of my invention is to provide a closure for sterilizerlflasks having the above characteristics in which standard labo-l ratory equipment may be used with but little` `alteration, vthereb readily be thercl'roln, lsterll vapor overthe mouth of the flask and gauze is removed and destroyed because it cannot be reused. As eachsterlhzlng opera' f the sterilizer in not necessitate the wasteot steril gauze as 1924.* serial Nb. 709,223."

n l y eliminating the expense incidental Vto thelnanufacture .of special flasks and closures. -V 7 A further object-of my invention 1s t provide a flask and closure therefor that lnay applied to the 'flask or detached and'which serves to direct heated along the exterior 'ol the neck, whereby the sterilization of' thelnouth and"`neck of the tlask is accomplished simultaneously Vwith the' sterilization of thecontents of the flask. A further object of my invention is to provide the flask and closure Iembodying features `of myinvention, vcertain portions being shown in longitudinalfsection. Figiv 2 is transverse section through the closure 'for the sterilizer, takenon' the line plan view.A i p "Fig 3 is an elevational view of the closure showing a section` in a vertical plane disposed atA right angles to the sectional plane p l is an elevational viewoffthe neck et the sterilizen ,5'

Fig. 5 is a longltudlnalsectlon through a `portion of a sterilizershowing a modified construction, and.. y l

. Fig. 6 is anelevational view of a inodilied lorm of flask having ,a substantially llat packingwa sher seated upon the body thereof. "Referring to the drawings, the device includes a `sterilizer llask A6, which, for the purpose of illustration, may be astandard Erlenmeyerv Hask, withV they exception that. the mouth of the flask is flared at dialnetrically opposite points to constitute lockl,ing ears 7, that alsoserve as pouring spouts.

l* Thespouts vmay be formed by heating the mouthof a standard flask and thenforcing.

l l n y p with cooperat-i llng, integral interlocklng devices whereby 10 expanded 'portion of tlieilaskat the point of `from the spouts.

i l the mouth across thev spouts 'Hjinto the. seats 13 and yieldingly restrain ro;

tary .movement ofj the closure`vvithrespectof thesimplicity ofconstijuction, 'L10' klaboratory y-l.-'w,ithin the flask andthe closureA applied, asl l l illustrated"in'Fig.` l, by first positioning the retaining itin op'erativeposition. .50;lugs .12 opposite the spaces-v between the `2. Ina sterilizer,` the' combination "With a diametrically opposite portions of the neck Pressure within. the flask is relieved by peroutvvardly by means of a suitable tool, and mitting the steril vapors` to pass through the then properlyannealing the uheated portion porous felt Washer. Itis apparent that the to prevent cranking. -l v necki'oftlae flask is sterilized both interiorly k5 lIn order to provide a steril closure for the `and exteriorly, and that the contents of the flask Without necessitating the laborious land flask mayl bey poured f romthe spout, Wit-hout wasteful sWa-thing-"operationpreviously 4'defw'dangerot:contamination. scribed, a steril felt Washer 8 is slipped over y The Closure may be removed by turning the neck of the flask and seated upon*theeitfthrough 90,.thereby dlsengagmg the lues The felt Washers may e joinder of the body'andthe ,"neckLA The'eX-- freusedafter they have been sterilized.. ,-f-ipandedfportion:prevents...longitudinal dis- .l In Figf5., I have .illustrated a modified l ent of the yvasherftoivard the lbottomform of porous VWasher -otslightly greater oftheliask. l* I i,...externalr` diameter `than the closure,1 fand 15 The-closure fori-the. flask comprises, preitgvvjhcli isiada'ptedtolbe compressed slightly ferably, .a standard-laboratory testjtube 9,.,an`d tjsnugly Within tlietubef1 .4 ofsliglitly greater diameterr than the width i Glosui'esfo'l dlierent length petwcen the i 7, and ivhicln Open endsV and the lugs l2 may be effectively r is-.offlsuliicient length that it may rest uponfusedjwithfsuch Washers. It viskobvious that l.zosand bespressed into the V:telt Washer 8 When U16. 'Selllzlv mayv QSO bGUSG. for the puipreserving culturesjo'lf bacteria. The

in. operative position.- -I-n order to., lposi- P03691 l e A y tivelylock theclosure. 9 ,uponthef liaslrand `felt"Washersexclude foreign substances and ln rfirm yContact with `the -Wasliemjtlie closure lat tliesai'ne time permitlsufficient ventilation.'

j/ Yis provided with diametricallywopposite i114-, .,Figffillustrates thefinvention'lapplied toy ayldentations11,'Which .constitute transversely'. a 'modified torni of 'flask' 'V13 having a subdispos'edlugsl2'extendingzlaterally .Within-StantlallySpherical body., This -form of thec los'uu.vv The `upper Surfaces' of thelugsy'flaSk. .`S Commonly used" by surgeons, Y 12Iare -slightly concave at. theirucentralporv,chemists,and bact'eriblogists and. a flat Washer tions-13, and are smilarin contour. to--thefli'ay lor/used as-'ase'aling member. fofunder/sujrfacelll of thespouts 7,.'jBy rea! "'VVlule I liaveillustrated'but two 'embodison of this construction, the spoutsfitsnugly ments ofvmy llli'ention,l it Will be 'app'ent t'o .K-'tliose 'skilled in the art that various ijclianges',l modifications, substitutions, 'addif'tions'and omissions ,may be madein the apto theiiask When in operative position.

` n ,Thelueiglg'ggefofmdrin.a Standard tgtgparatus illustrated ",'Without ydeparting'from tube by heating. the tubeffandv pressing the thefspiritgand 'scope of my invention, as set .sidewalls inwardlyfivithfa suitable Aformingilorth ingthe' appended claims .ftool,landtlienannealing the tube`- Because '1'1- `,Claim as my?inventionj. y

standard ,"l'lnaf sterilizer,.thefconibination with a glassware, suchfasilasks and testr lask havingabodyportion and a neck por- A tubes, [may be usedvin-tliemanufacture off J61011- having an external -proJection thereon,

" the device. fcoininercially, thereby- "eliminate,

ing the necessity for ex ensive special molds, .f etc., This vl'featureffre' uCes/mater'ially' the. 5y costk'of .manufacture @over and substantially 'surrounding the neck f flheyop'erationo' the sterilizer is 'as follotvs rIhe liquidto bev sterilized lisplaced ,fing integral means interlockingv With the projection 'on thefneck portion for releasably portion andfsupported by the'body portion,

' f' `spouts l', and `then slidingvtlie closure into flask havinga ybody portion and a relatively engagement With the felt Washer 8'. Rotalong and narrow neck 'portion having' a -i vtion olf'- the closure 90`causes the lugs l2 tol moutliflared Aat spacedpointsoni the periph- 1;., yslip beneath the spougts' 7 ,which .securely seat.I ery, of a porous Washer surrounding the *5'5" upon! the,^ concave surfaces" thereof. The neck'portion.adjacent tliefpoint of joinder fsteri-lizer is then yready 'for the .sterilizing process. I

1tlie'reoiI with the bodyportion, and aclosure engaging the Washer, the saidA closure being 'heated by an with the iared portion of the said mouth 3. 'A sterilizer.com'pris ing'a llaskhaving a of/fa 'porous 'Washer"surrounding the neck land ajtest tube constitutingfa"closure litting 1m portionandengaging'the Washer, and hav# l y I I p y loosely fitting-over theneck portion and sub- Y .v y'lie'flasksarejmade';ollhi'ghly refractory istantially surrounding' theneckportion and i.; glassy, injorder ,tovvithstand the liighteni-.- i Supera-ture incident to thiefsterilizing process.y

. Tlieliquidfvvithin the flask is v ..external application of heat, and vapors pass`- Vor'releasably ,retaining the closure in oper- A.fipintheftmfouthofftliefliask andysurround l"z'i'tilve'position.' f..theferterior oftheneckhereby lstelilizino'fv y v 65 the 'exterior asvvell las the' interiorthereoi. vbodyv Aportion `and "a' "relatively longneck "pr'ovidedWitli integral meansA` interlocking lll() llfi ` from the inouthk oi' the neck portion for closing the open end of the closure against the entrance of foreign substances, and permitting the escape of vapors therethrough.

4. A sterilizer' comprising a glass fiask having a body portion anda neck portion,

. a detachable glass test tube constituting a closure iitting Yover and surrounding the neck portion ior preventing contamination of the exterior thereof and for directing vapors along, and in contact with, the Voutside of the neck portion, a yielding porous ineinber snugly iitting aroundv the neck portion and supported thereby for supporting the closure, and integral ineans iii the closure cooperating with the neck :torv releasably pressing the closure in ContactV with the porous member. Y,

5. A sterilizei comprising a flask having a body portion and a relatively long neck poi tion, a yielding Washer surro-unding the neck portion and held in operative position by the body portion and a tubular closure for the ask closed at one end and fitting over f the neck of theiiask, and means for releasi ably retaining the closure in engagement with the yielding washer including van. eX- terior indentation constituting an inwardly extending projection within the closure and neck portion a sealing washer surrounding the neck pory a radially extending spout on the neck for engaging the said projection.

.6. A sterilizer comprising a flask having a neck portion provided with a pouring spout, a sealing Washer surrounding the neck portion and a closure fitting loosely over and substantially surrounding the neck portion, and provided with an internal projection for engaging the spout and for retaining the closure in engagement with the washer.'

7. A sterilizer comprising a laskhaving a provided with a pouring spout,

tion, and a closure fitting loosely over and substantially surrounding the neck portion and having its side 'wall provided with an iiideiition constituting an kinternal projection for engaging the spout and for retaining the closure in engagement with the washer.

- 8. A sterilizer comprising a iiask having a neck portion provided at the periphery of its inouth with an outwardly flared-portion constituting a retaining lug, a sealing washer surrounding the neck portion,and a closure loosely fittingV over the neck portion and supported upon the washer and having an internal projection having a concave seat Vfor engaging the under side of the said lug for releasably retaining the closure in operative position.

In testiniony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 19th day of April, 1924. Y

. MARLIN W. HEILMAN. 

